The present invention provides a process for hydrolysing allylethers to give carbonyl compounds, particularly for hydrolysing alkyl sec-butenyl ethers to give methyl ethyl ketone and the corresponding alkanol. Ketones are of great importance as solvents as well as starting materials for chemical syntheses. Aldehydes are of interest as such and can also be used as intermediate in chemical syntheses.
Although the hydrolysis of vinylethers is known in the art, e.g. from U.S. Pat. No. 2,622,919 issued Jan. 26, 1960 describing the use of a supported silver oxide catalyst at temperature between 220.degree. C. and 300.degree. C. to give aldehydes and alkanols and from U.S. Pat. No. 2,533,172 issued Dec. 5, 1950 describing the use of a supported acidic catalyst at temperatures of at least 150.degree. C. to give aldehydes and alkanols, no reference is made to the hydrolysis of allylethers. Moreover, it was determined experimentally that the hydrolysis of methyl sec-butenyl ether under acidic conditions gives butadiene and methanol as major products (&lt;90%) and a small amount of isomeric butenols.